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At the Crossroads
Judy Shrout • Apr 24, 2024
Superstition says that bad news comes in threes – happening all at once or in quick succession. Well…
that’s precisely what happened with the family of Elimelech while they were living in Moab. First,
Elimelech died, plunging Naomi into widowhood. Second and third, both sons, Mahlon and Chilion, died,
swallowing up the hopes and dreams of their young wives, Ruth and Orpah.
Things were terribly unpleasant – so much so that Naomi, the woman whose name meant “pleasant,”
wanted to change her name to Mara, which meant “bitter.”
After living in Moab for ten years, word arrived that there was now bread in the house of bread,
Bethlehem, Naomi’s hometown. So, she decided she would sadly crawl back into town alone and live
out her days there. She graciously encouraged her much-loved daughters-in-law to go back to their own
parents’ home, marry again, and have their own families.
When they arrived at the crossroads where a decision had to be made, Naomi entreated the young
widows to stay behind in Moab: “May the Lord grant that you find rest, each one in the home of her
husband.” Then she kissed them [goodbye] and they wept aloud (Ruth 1:9).
Picture the scene with me: three women bawling their eyes out in the middle of the road (v.9), clinging
to each other, then crying some more (v.14). Imagine with me the tear-soaked cloaks and tunics as they
said their final goodbyes to Orpah, who chose to return to Moab. And perhaps Ruth had some additional
tears to shed as she said goodbye to her homeland and chose to accompany Naomi to the town of
Bethlehem.
This was the crossroads where faith and the familiar duked it out. For Orpah, the familiar won out; she
went back to Moab. For Ruth, faith won out; she went on with Naomi to the village of Bethlehem. At the
time, the choices of the two young widows at the crossroads probably didn’t make any headlines. Yet at
this very moment, Orpah walked off the pages of Scripture and Ruth walked right into the lineage of our
Savior, Jesus Christ – and into our hearts.
But aren’t crossroads decisions like that? At the time, it may seem like any other moment. But when we
invite God into our decision-making, those moments may become crossroads and turning points. What
decision do you need to make today? Will the familiar win out? Or will you invite God into your moment
and step out in faith – and perhaps begin a new chapter in your story?
By Judy Shrout
Judy is the wife of Tom, mother of Heather, mother-in-law of Jim, grandmom to T.J., Ainsley, and
Maggie, and grandmother-in-law to Piper.
The Hebrew language has seven words that we translate as “praise.” The most common word is “HALAL/ Hâlal” and is pronounced “haw-lal”. It means to be clear (of color), shine, rave, make a show, boast, be clamorously foolish, rave, and celebrate.* It is to celebrate with utter abandon. Think the last second, game-winning basketball shot in March. Think opening a letter to find out you have a full-ride scholarship or the new grandparent with ALLLLLL the pictures. Halal is to rave about God. Paul and the disciples were so filled with the spirit at times that people thought they were drunk (Acts 2:13-15 and Ephesians 5:18). Halal is to be foolishly clamorous like David: David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals. . . David was dancing before the Lord with all his might. . . As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal . . . watched from a window . . . and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:5,14,16). When Michal confronted David about looking foolish, he replied, “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes” (2 Samuel 6:21-22). Halal is found throughout Psalms: Let heaven and earth praise (halal) him, the seas and all that move in them. (Psalm 69:34) Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise (halal); his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:3) Praise (halal) the Lord, you his servants; praise (halal) the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised (halal), both now and forevermore. (Psalm 113:1-2) Let everything that has breath, praise (halal) the LORD. (Psalm 150:6) Halal is cranking up the radio, letting joy “move” you and car-dancing with no care in the world about how you look. Halal is JOY! Child of God, you have been redeemed. Celebrate with Halal today. By LaRaine Rice * Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible, Volume 2, 33.
Tucked at the end of the book of Ruth is the transaction between Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, and the other kinsman redeemer in order to determine who will redeem Ruth. It took place at the city gates and at the end of the transaction. . . Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “ Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife . . . Today you are witnesses !” (Ruth 4:9-10 CSB) Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “ We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” (Ruth 4:11-12) After Ruth’s redemption, the people (witnesses) wished that the Lord would make her like the women who built the family of Israel. God did just that: Ruth was the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor of Christ. Ruth, who faithfully refused to leave Naomi and choose the God of the Jews over the god of her people, was redeemed. And as a result of her redemption, the Lord used her as part of His redemptive plan. With amazing hindsight, we can see the beauty of what happened that day in Bethlehem that led to another day in Bethlehem. Thousands of years later, we are witnesses to the redemption that “the offspring that the Lord gave” through Ruth, available to all who will seek out God over other “gods.” Today, as you think on what took place in Ruth’s life and on the day of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, bear witness to those who don’t know of the redemption that is available to them. Share Ruth’s story. Share Christ’s story. Share your story. By LaRaine Rice
The sound of familiar voices comes from the record player. I smile knowing that my husband just put on my grandparents’ album for us to listen to. Many memories of their gospel group, The Joyful Messengers , flood my mind taking me back to a time when my sister and I would travel with our grandparents to different churches, where they would share their testimony through the songs they would sing and the lyrics they would write. Even though both of my grandmothers that were in the group have since gone to be with Jesus, their legacy of faith lives on in their children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren. It’s a legacy for which I am so thankful – it brings to mind the words of 2 Timothy 1:5: I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. Due to Timothy’s mother and grandmother, he too knew Jesus and shared his faith with others. The influence they had on Timothy was life-changing for him and for those around him; and here we are today still telling his story. The godly influence that surrounded Timothy growing up is also mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:14-15: But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You too may have had a Lois or Eunice in your life that shared the Gospel with you, and now you are sharing Jesus with others -- your children, grandchildren, friends, and coworkers. When we share our faith with those around us - especially our children and grandchildren – it has the power to change generations to come. Spreading the hope of the Gospel and planting those seeds can blossom into a beautiful garden of believers in the future. And friends, that is what can really change the world. This week share the hope of Jesus with someone in your life -- perhaps a little one God has entrusted to your care. You never know how much of an influence you can be and how sharing the Gospel with them can change their lives forever. By Lauren Hill Lauren has been married to her high school sweetheart, Adam, for 12 years and they have two daughters, Story, and Violet. They attend the Georgetown campus where Lauren serves in children’s church.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3) For many of you, this is a very busy season of the year – the school year is ending and end-of-the year parties are on the calendar, graduations are coming up and there are gifts to give and celebrations to enjoy, several big weddings are also on the horizon which requires another batch of gifts and happy events, summer camps to schedule, kids’ sports teams to coach, a family vacation to plan – along with your “normal” life. Our calendars quickly fill with events and obligations we had forgotten, or perhaps didn’t even know we had. This can easily overwhelm and rob us of our peace. Many people thrive on the excitement, the social life, the filled-up-to-overflowing calendar, the running from one event to another. For others, this busy-ness saps their energy and robs them of joy and peace. For both groups of people, stress can come from unrealistic expectations, precarious relationships, or experiencing many of the “firsts” without a loved one. For those who struggle with finding peace in hectic times, it may seem like those who thrive on this busy- ness possess a super-power that the others missed out on. And then, even wondering why you don’t thrive like others during this season can bring its own stress. During any unusually busy season, we all have to guard against the little things that have a way of becoming bigger things and robbing us of our peace. The prophet Isaiah who identified the Messiah, amongst other titles, as the Prince of Peace tells us that the secret to lasting peace is to keep our mind stayed on Jesus. The apostle Paul tells us that His peace surpasses our understanding (Philippians 4:7). If you find yourself stressed and in search of peace, take a few moments to anchor yourself in the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) to remember the peace He has left us (John 14:27), and to yield yourself to the work of His Spirit to bear the fruit of peace in your life (Galatians 5:22-23). If you encounter someone who is lacking peace, will you accept the challenge to extend to them the grace and peace that has been freely and abundantly shared with you by the Prince of Peace? Shalom. By Jesse Smith
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ASV) In this familiar text, the prophet Isaiah identifies the coming Messiah as the Prince of Peace. I suspect that our familiarity with this passage leads us to read these words without taking time to consider their meaning. So, let’s take a few moments to consider what it means that He is the Prince of Peace. To say that Messiah is the Prince of Peace, is to identify him as the sovereign of the kingdom of peace. As the ruler of this kingdom, He is the source and ruler of peace. This is not a peace that simply represents the absence of conflict, or a run of good days, or prosperity, or any of the other ways that our culture might define peace. This is genuine, lasting peace. This is the peace of which Jesus spoke to His disciples on the night before his crucifixion: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid (John 14:27). He is this peace. So how, in the midst of a world of strife on every hand, can folks like you and me experience this peace? I think that answer is found in how Paul addressed the early church in his writing to the churches of his day. His greeting routinely includes the following or similar words: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:2). You will find this same greeting in Galatians 1:3, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, and 2 Thessalonians 1:2. If the Apostle Paul felt it important to routinely include this in his greetings to the early churches, I would suggest that the words convey something important. Not only the words, but the order of the words conveys a great truth. The path to His peace is found in first experiencing His grace. There is simply no way to experience true and lasting peace outside of the grace found in the Prince of Peace. If you find yourself lacking peace, what about the Prince of Peace? He has done all that is required to redeem you and bring you true peace. By Jesse Smith
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. (Ruth 3:8-12 ASV) Boaz awoke from sleep to find Ruth lying at his feet as she had been instructed by her mother-in-law, Naomi. It is here that Ruth identified herself as his handmaid and asked for his covering. She is proposing that he marry her. This practice is consistent with the customs surrounding the practice of the levirate marriage, where a childless widow would make a claim on her deceased husband’s brother. In the case of the levirate marriage the brother was obligated to take the widow as his wife, or else face public humiliation and dishonor amongst the Israelites (Deuteronomy 25:7-10). While Boaz was a kinsman of Ruth and Naomi, he was not a brother of Ruth’s deceased husband; so, he was not bound by the law of Deuteronomy 25 to marry Ruth. Boaz’s decision to marry Ruth and fulfill the rights of a kinsman-redeemer was a free choice, an expression of favor, even an act of grace shown to Ruth. Boaz’s actions were a choice to redeem every area of Ruth’s life. Actions which would give her hope and a future. Actions that would allow her to experience peace in all areas of her life. Boaz is a picture for us of The Redeemer who would one day come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). This One born of the house of David (the great grandson of Boaz and Ruth) would arise to pay the price for our redemption and extend to us His gifts of grace and peace. By Jesse Smith
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor, but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest I will do. (Ruth 3:3-5 ASV) These instructions are peculiar to us – and no doubt unexpected. In short, Naomi is instructing Ruth to go find Boaz at the threshing floor, wait till he is asleep, lie down at his feet, and wait on Boaz to give her further instructions. These are peculiar to us because we don’t have any experience with the laws and customs of the ancient Israelites – and probably also peculiar to Ruth, a foreigner not familiar with the Jewish laws and customs to which Naomi was making an appeal. When I read this passage, my thinking is drawn to the last part of verse 5: All that thou sayest I will do. Even though the instructions were a bit unexpected and confusing, Ruth trusted Naomi enough to follow. That level of trust is based on their relationship, the genuine concern that Ruth understood Namoi had for her. As the remainder of this little book unfolds, we see the results of Ruth’s decision to act on the instructions she had, even though she didn’t have all the details. What do you do when you have the instruction, but you don’t know how it’s all going to work out? One of the ways we find peace in our walk of faith is to follow God even when we don’t have all the answers. This is not an invitation to be reckless or to follow every little fad; there is a proper time for counting the cost (Luke 14:25-33) before we launch out in a new direction. But the cost counting must be balanced against the fear of what we don’t know – a fear that paralyzes us and leads us to bury our talents in the ground (Matthew 25:14-30). We are called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). How is the Lord leading you, and are you waiting for some answers that would make you more comfortable? What is that instruction that you think must surely be for someone else? How limited is your experience of His abundant life because you aren’t willing to answer the call until you have all the answers? By Jesse Smith
And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing-floor. (Ruth 3:1-2 ASV) Naomi and Ruth are now in Bethlehem, surviving on the grain Ruth is able to glean from the fields of Boaz. It is in this setting that Naomi expresses her concern for Ruth’s welfare, that she might find rest. The idea of rest here has to do with Ruth’s well-being – with the experience of rest in every aspect of life – and echoes the Hebrew understanding of shalom (peace). Naomi has taken note of the favor which Boaz has already shown Ruth in having his men leave her extra, good grain as she gleaned grain in his fields. So, she says to Ruth: What about Boaz? You do realize that he is our kinsman, don’t you? There are two Jewish laws that form the background for what Naomi will suggest to Ruth in the coming verses. The first of these is the law of the kinsman redeemer found in Leviticus 25. If an Israelite fell into poverty and sold his land or even himself into slavery, a near relative had the right to redeem – or buy back – both the person and his property. The word translated kinsman in reference to Boaz in this passage is the same word used for the redeemer in Leviticus 25. The second of these Jewish laws is that of the levirate marriage found in Deuteronomy 25. This law provided for redeeming the posterity of a brother who had died and left his widow childless. The widow could claim one of her deceased husband’s brothers to marry her and provide an heir to carry on the family line. Naomi understood that Boaz was in a position to provide a covering for Ruth, to redeem all of the things that looked bleak in her life and about her future. She also understood that the next move belonged to Ruth, that Boaz was not going to react until Ruth went to him and asked for his covering. Much like Ruth, we often wander in a foreign land trying to make it on what we can glean on our own; and all the while there is a Redeemer in waiting. He is able, ready, and willing to provide His covering, His covenant of grace in which we find peace and provision for every area of life. If you find yourself without peace, or in desperate circumstances you’re trying to navigate on your own, have you considered Jesus? He is our Redeemer. By Jesse Smith
I woke up around 2:00 in the morning thinking about my first love, Norman. My family was stationed by the Navy in Kingsville, Texas. I was eight. He was a handsome young man although a bit of a pest, but my young heart loved him. We were going to be married! A year later, my dad was transferred to San Diego California. Goodbye Norman. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV) I love that Jehovah Rohi (the Lord is my Shepherd) has thoughts and plans for me. I realize now that the journey of planning that I began at age eight really set the stage for the plans of my life. When I was young, I had what I imagine are normal plans: plans to go to college, start my career, fall in love, get married and have children. Later, I made more strategic plans than I dreamed. Plans born from responsibilities that promoted growth, success, and security. There have been times in my life too where my dreams were silenced by the trials of life through great tragedy, loss, and grief. I became a Christian at age eleven. I have been praying for God's plans to be revealed my whole life. However, many of the plans that developed have mostly been my plans, ideally supported by Him. Sometimes while waiting on a plan, you can become convinced that your plan is His plan. Waiting for Jehovah Jireh’s (the Lord provides) plan takes patience and a truly seeking heart. You might think, what is the point of having a good head on your shoulders, being intelligent and sensible if you don’t make good use of it? I don’t think God wants us not to be planners. I just think because He is so much greater than us, why wouldn’t we seek His plan? We are talking about the Creator of the universe here. He knows how many hairs I have on my head! He can help me every step of the way toward my future. Despite good, bad, or ugly planning, my life has been amazing; and I have seen the evidence of God in it literally everywhere, every day. The moral of this story is, young or old it is never too late to take a pause on your planning and ask God to reveal the thoughts that He thinks of you! Move toward the life that He plans for you in 2024! You won’t regret it! By Kimberly Pope
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10) We are naturally attracted to people who seem to be like us. For example, church congregations are very often characterized by a single race, similar socio-economic level, a common age-level, or worship- style preference. I must admit that I normally feel uncomfortable being in the minority in any social setting. But this is not what we should expect in our heavenly home, where there will be a great diversity of saints. Ruth was from the land of Moab, a neighboring nation of Israel situated along the eastern border of the Dead Sea. During most of Israel’s history, the Moabites were Israel’s enemies. Ruth married Mahlon, one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi. After emigrating from Judah to Moab, Elimelech and the two sons died, leaving Naomi and the sons’ two wives as widows. While Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law, chose to remain in her native land of Moab when Naomi decided to return to Judah, Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi. By going with Naomi to Bethlehem in Judah, Ruth was showing her loyalty and love for her mother-in- law, Naomi. She could have remained in Moab, returned to her mother’s home, and eventually remarried. But her decision to stay with Naomi also revealed her decision to make Naomi’s people -- the Israelites – to be her people and the God of Israel to be her God. None of this escaped the notice of Boaz, who recognized the great sacrifice Ruth was making to immigrate to Judah. So, he was determined to show his admiration for Ruth by extending exceedingly great kindness to her. Despite her being a Moabitess, he now considered Ruth to be like one of them. Boaz's inclusivity challenges cultural norms and reminds us of God's desire for inclusivity within His family. As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace a love that transcends cultural and societal boundaries. Ruth's story challenges us to examine our own hearts. Are we embracing God’s plan of diversity, or are there prejudices that hinder genuine love? The foreignness of Ruth did not deter Boaz from showing kindness and favor. Similarly, God calls us to see beyond external differences and to love one another as members of His diverse family. God's inclusivity is evident in His redemptive plan for humanity. He invites people from every nation, tribe, and tongue into His family. Ruth's story teaches us that love knows no cultural or ethnic bounds. As we follow Christ, may our hearts be open to all, recognizing the inherent value in each person. By Jim Connell Jim is the founder and retired director of Lexington Rescue Mission and the author of JesusIsLordBlog.com.
